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The Habs Haven't Just Lost Games, They've Lost Themselves |
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Can you believe this has the potential to turn into the worst season the Canadiens have had in the post-1967 expansion era of hockey?
Less than 70 points would make it so, statistically (unless you count the abridged season in 1995, but you wouldn't).
Can the Habs collect 12 points in their final 18 games?
Chances are good they can.
Will they get much more than that?
Highly unlikely.
And even though the Centennial season was one colossal waste of everyone's hopes and positive vibes the marketing inspired, I can't recall the last time the Habs were playing completely irrelevant hockey with 18-games to go.
Truth-be-told, it was irrelevant with 21-games to go. And for most the fanbase, it's been irrelevant since the middle of January.
It would be one thing if the franchise were losing games at an alarming rate (and they are), but it's entirely something else that they've been losing their identity, the class of the organization, and the historical significance of their place in hockey-- all at once.
People are losing passion for this team by the day, because the men at the top of it have turned into exactly what people always say about it in other markets--"it's just a business." The reason the Canadiens succeeded in becoming the most storied franchise in hockey, is because they never treated it like "just a business" before.
Ray Lalonde's departure from the team's marketing department has left us with a game-experience that would encourage one to wear headphones in the stands, or earplugs to block out the inanities blasting out of the speakers and the shrieking stupidity emanating from the hostesses who feel it imperative to yell into the microphones they're holding. The in-game promotions are not only annoying, they bring out the stupid in people.
"Le Cam Tam-Tam", give me a f&%&^& break.
Not to mention a pre-game montage that killed the crowd for the first half the season, and a dancing, overstuffed muppet that brings with it a curse of another failed franchise (Okay, slagging Youppi is a bit over the top...I rescind).
Pierre Gauthier's emotionless, monotonous, even torturous reign has done its part to remove the supposed class of the organization.
Have players been traded off the bench before?
Not that anyone can recall, though I'm sure it's happened.
Would 29 other GMs do it?
No. Not even to make a point to an overpayed, whiny underachiever. Not even to make a point to his teammates.
Would any of the other 29 GMs have fired a lone assistant coach, let alone doing so before the pre-game warm up?
How about firing Martin on gameday, in the midst of finally getting the team to play some decent hockey?
How about hiring Randy Cunneyworth, and apologizing for Cunneyworth's hire?
How about repeatedly suggesting that Andrei Markov's knee is stronger than it's ever been, through setbacks, through surgery, and even two days ago in his post-trade deadline conference?
The class of the organization is unfortunately resting in the hospital. Our thoughts and prayers for a fast recovery rest with Mr. Beliveau.
With that, those still passionate enough are praying the organization can restore itself from the image they've been saddled with by the team's current leadership.
With all this suffering, the highest the Canadiens are likely to draft this season is second overall. To think the Columbus Blue Jackets have actually been worse--15 points worse--is actually unreal.
The Oilers, who are two points behind the Habs with games in-hand at least gave their fans some hope at the beginning of the season.
In summation, I'd like for every fan that's argued that the Canadiens should tank, rip it apart, and start the five-year rebuild process to keep this season at the front of their minds. Go over every part of it. Then argue that the people of Montreal would accept at least three seasons of this, let alone five.
First and foremost, this is a business, and whether people want to hear it or not, they're not going to take the losses they'd surely swallow if they had to play one, or two, or three more seasons of this.
But this isn't just about the standings. This is the loss of class. This is the detachment from the organization's rich history and the undoing of what Pierre Boivin and Ray Lalonde worked so hard to bring everyone back to after the team went down this road in the mid-90s through the early-2000s.
We can get to the excitement of naming a new General Manager soon. It's 18 games and some weeks of reflection in the making.
We can get to the draft and free agency, thereafter.
What comes after those processes should be a great reflection on how to restore what's made this organization among the most iconic in the vast world of sports. The concentration needs to be on the revitalization of why this brand became universal.
The Habs haven't been just losing games this season, they've been losing themselves. Concentrating on just winning games won't be a satisfactory remedy to the problem.
They make no progress without asking and finding solutions to those very disconcerting questions. One would hope that process has begun.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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